Madfloridian's Journal - Florida delegation gets super seats, lousy hotel rooms....not much griping.

They also got all their full votes back instead of half votes. A few have had some things to say today about the hotel rooms being so far away, but most have not been critical.

Florida Democratic chairwoman Karen Thurman, left, and state Sen. Arthenia Joyner of Tampa register at the convention center in Denver. “It’s been a long journey,’’ Thurman said. The delegation will have front-row seats at the Pepsi Center.

Florida Democrats get up front seats

After being slapped by the national party and shunned by the presidential candidates, they and their 27 electoral votes are now the belles of the ball. National party leaders voted unanimously on Sunday to restore the 211-member Florida delegation's full voting authority, which had been stripped away entirely and later cut in half as punishment for Florida's violation of the official primary schedule. What's more, the Barack Obama campaign paid Florida the ultimate homage by giving the delegation front-row convention seats at the Pepsi Center.

Florida's delegation is split among three hotels featuring views of warehouses, Interstate 70, and an occasional shuttered strip joint. Amid the grumbling and confusion about having to find shuttles or pay for taxis to get anywhere near the convention spectacle, though, most Florida Democrats spoke with relief that their long primary nightmare is finally coming to a close.

"When you get spanked, you feel it,'' said former Hillsborough Democratic chairwoman Lynn Marvin. "But it's all good now."

The tough journey to this point started nearly 18 months ago when Democratic and Republican state lawmakers decided to move Florida's primary from March into January to give Florida more influence in the presidential nomination. The national party, trying to keep order and geographic and ethnic diversity, had decreed that only Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina could hold primaries before Feb. 5.

Adam Smith then writes that most Florida Democrats have gotten over it.

Most Florida Democrats have long since moved on from the anger and anguish over Florida's officially meaningless primary. Republican John McCain needs Florida's 27 electoral votes to win the White House and with polls showing a neck-and-neck race, Obama has made up for lost time by showering Florida with love.

Well, Adam, who loves to divide....it is not the Florida Democratic leaders I am worried about that. They are pretty doggoned lucky to have it come out like it did.

I am concerned about the way that the situation is playing out on the national scene because of the manipulation of this state. Concerned about the groups that are still using it to hurt our party.

I was so glad to see Governor Howard Dean defend himself finally on this issue. It is about damn time, and when this election is over I hope he truly tells it like it really was and is. How one state, perhaps two, were used to try to win a presidential race.

Here is what he said in CQ Politics this week about the situation.

Dean stands by his decision. “Folks have been pushing around the Rules Committee and the DNC for a long time and we finally just said no, we’re not doing it anymore, and these are the consequences and we’re sticking to them,” he said. “And I think somebody had to do that.”

Hubby and I live with the consequences of the actions of our state's Democratic leaders. We are really not welcomed by local Democrats now because we called them on their behavior. They voted for and supported the early primary date, and then turned around and blamed Howard Dean.

I am glad they got good seats in Denver, probably at the expense of some states who followed the rules and made no waves.

I see some Florida Democrats trying to make peace now, and it is appreciated.